


Museums Are Meant For Learning

by CheetahLeopard2



Series: White Collar/Batman fics [5]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Red Robin (Comics), White Collar (TV 2009)
Genre: Gen, Identity Porn, Identity Reveal, M/M, Secret Identity, Tim Drake is Neal Caffrey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:48:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29136561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheetahLeopard2/pseuds/CheetahLeopard2
Summary: Diana takes Neal to the Hero's Museum
Relationships: Diana Berrigan & Neal Caffrey, Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent/Jason Todd
Series: White Collar/Batman fics [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2025266
Comments: 39
Kudos: 221





	Museums Are Meant For Learning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [impravidus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/impravidus/gifts).



> I took liberties with what we know about Diana's background.  
> Also Conner Kon-El Kent-Luthor is a very missed concept just saying

“Neal,” Diana calls, making her way to his desk, “I know Peter’s too busy to babysit you-”

Neal’s, “Hey!” in protest is ignored.

“- so we’re going to the museum tomorrow.”

Neal perks up in his chair, taking his feet off the desk and smile lighting his features as he gives her his full attention, “What’s the occasion?”

“You’ll see,” Diana says, lips twitched up in a slight smile, slight smirk.

* * *

“The Hero’s Museum?” Neal asks, bemused, as Diana pulls up to the curb.

“Yep,” she says, popping the ‘p’, “There’s a new exhibit about Gotham vigilantes I wanted to check out.”

“A fan, are you?” Neal asks, amusement coloring his tone.

“Yes,” Diana answers seriously, challenge in her tone.

Neal nods hands up in a non-aggressive pose, “Fair enough, are we heading directly to the new exhibit or…?”

“That’s the plan,” Diana shrugs, “unless you want to look through the rest…?”

Neal laughs, holding the door open, “No thanks.”

The exhibit runs chronologically, starting of course with a cursory glance at Batman, with an explanation that Batman will be discussed throughout the exhibit rather than in one big section.

Next shows a ‘overview of Robins’, which is mostly accurate- though Steph’s robin suit is completely inaccurate, and a lot of the timeline is speculation, particularly between Robins #1 and 2. Tim decides to just refer to them by name in his head, though obviously any civilian id on any of the vigilantes in the exhibit is pure speculation.

Then the exhibit goes on to ‘overview of Batgirls’, which is mostly speculation, and points to different display numbers for what they presume happened with each Batgirl. Tim notes with some disappointment that the first Batgirl doesn’t have another display, and is noted as ‘retired’. There’s no Oracle display except a footnote plaque between the Batgirls and next display that notes “There are rumors of a technological genius who goes by the moniker ‘Oracle’.”

Tim goes back and realizes that there are also other display numbers below the Robins, and the one under Steph’s leads to the Batgirl exhibit.

There’s a note under Jason’s Robin- “see Display a32- Red Hood*

*this is mostly speculation.“

“Neal,” Diana calls, getting Tim’s attention, and beckons him over when he glances at her.

Neal walks around to see the display she’s looking at, and his breath catches in his throat.

“Red Robin” the display beams at him, and Neal tries to swallow around the sudden lump on his throat.

“He’s my favorite,” Diana admits, clicking through the interactive notecards.

And, wow, Tim knows he’s done a lot in his career as a vigilante, but that’s a Lot of notecards. It kind of takes his breath away, to see his life so succinctly summarized- with most missions and details missing, but nonetheless.

Then what Diana’s said hits him, and Tim finds himself blinking back tears, trying to breath.

He clears his throat, “Why?”

“He saved my life.”

Tim wasn’t expecting that, and frantically he casts back into his memory, “When?”

“I was in college, here in New York, and my parents brought me to a gala,” Diana says, and Tim remembers.

Remembers a woman with sad brown eyes sitting at the edge of a building, whose rich parents had just disowned her for not marrying who they’d picked out. Tim’d seen the blowout at the gala earlier that night, seen the student run out and followed her. Had stopped her from jumping by telling her about his crush on Red Hood and Superboy, that there’s nothing wrong with loving who you want.

“The iridescent cocktail dress,” he breaths.

Diana’s head snaps to him, “What?”

“That was the Lexcorp gala where you and the Luthor heir were supposed to announce their engagement, right? Where you wore that cocktail dress and-”

“How do you know this?” Diana snaps.

“I was there,” Tim answers honestly, “a guest of Luthor’s heir- he really didn’t want to get engaged either, but he figured since you like girls and he likes boys you’d just have a marriage of solidarity and date who you want. He didn’t know you didn’t know.”

Diana’s shocked into silence, staring at Tim like she’d never seen him before.

“Which I mean, I’m glad for,” Tim muses, “seeing as he’s one of my boyfriends now.”

“What?!” Diana breathes, regaining her thoughts, before punching his shoulder, “then why do you keep flirting with me?”

Tim smirks, “It’s fun.”

Diana punches him again, and they laugh together, nervous huffs.

Tim has permission to blow his cover with Peter, El, Jones, and Diana. He really thought they’d all be together, in a serious conversation in the briefing room but…

“He wanted to be the one to go talk to you on that roof,” Tim admits, studying the Red Robin exhibit, “I made him promise to not listen when I went up instead.”

Diana’s breath catches in anger, “You heard me talking to Red Robin, didn’t you? Neal, that’s-”

“I didn’t recognize you,” Tim assures quickly, “I probably should’ve. ‘World’s Greatest Detective’, right?” Tim pauses, taking in the way Diana’s expression changes as she puts the pieces together out of the corner of his eye, “But I wasn’t looking for you.”

“You’re not- Neal you can’t be-” Diana, usually so composed and quick-witted, stammers, and Tim finally turns to face her head on.

“Red Robin got with Superboy and Red Hood after all,” Tim says, smile light and joints loose. Ready to run.

Diana gapes, then closes her eyes, jaw shutting with a click. One deep breath, two.

“Red Robin?” she asks, voice hushed and eyes disbelieving.

“In the flesh,” Tim smiles, “I’m only cleared to tell you, Jones, El, and Peter, so keep it on the dl.”

“What the fuck,” Diana breathes, and Tim falters, before, “You’re so cool but I know you’re a dork. What the fuck.”

“Hey,” Tim frowns, grumbling, “that was uncalled for,” good-naturedly.

“We,” Diana says determinedly, grabbing him by the elbow, “Are going through this exhibit again, and you are going to correct everything.

Tim laughs, and lets his friend lead him. His future at White Collar looks bright.

**Author's Note:**

> Please please comment!!


End file.
